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As global crises multiply, scores of US diplomats say they have been forced out

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11 HR ago By   Jennifer Hansler , CNN Politics Rescue workers search through the rubble of a residential building in Tehran, following US-Israeli airstrikes on March 27.   Majid Saeedi/Getty Images Amid ongoing foreign policy crises around the globe and as the Trump administration struggles to reach a deal to end the war with Iran, the State Department last week finalized the firings of nearly 250 foreign service officers in a brief, impersonal email. “Your reduction in force separation will be effective today,” part of it read. “Thank you again for your service to the Department.” Those reductions in force (RIFs), which were initiated last July, also impacted more than 1,000 civil service officers, and saw the firings of entire staffs in offices that former officials say would have been able to provide guidance on the war in Iran, which is having severe consequences for the US and global economy. The State Department has consistently maintained that the RIFs were meant  ...
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Putin’s inner circle is pushing him to end the war

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Putin image from article 2:12 PM · May 13, 2026 · 132.4K Views @nexta_tv ; see also, and  also Putin’s inner circle is pushing him to end the war The British outlet The i Paper reports that pressure is growing within Russia’s leadership to bring the war against Ukraine to an end. According to analyst Mark Galeotti, part of the Kremlin elite believes the war has reached a dead end. Russia continues to make slow advances, but the cost is rising — both economically and politically. Journalists refer to a February report prepared for the Russian presidential administration that later leaked online. It warned that continuing the war could turn into a “pyrrhic victory” for the Kremlin — with massive losses for the sake of devastated and depopulated cities. According to the report, officials are discussing the option of freezing the front line and trying to present it to the public as a “victory over the West.” *** Original article contains comments by its readers.
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Yes, U.S. President Donald Trump brokered a three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine

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AI Overview ; see also Yes, U.S. President Donald Trump brokered a three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine to span from May 9 to May 11, 2026, coinciding with the Russian Victory Day holiday .   ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos  +4 While the truce was intended to halt kinetic activity and facilitate a prisoner exchange, it faced immediate complications and accusations of violations from both sides: Agreement Details:  The temporary truce was negotiated to pause hostilities during the World War II commemorations and included terms for a major prisoner swap of up to 2,000 individuals.   Facebook · Fox News  +1 Reported Violations:  Shortly after the ceasefire began on May 9, both nations traded accusations of breaking the agreement. Ukraine reported fatal drone strikes in the Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions, while Russia accused Kyiv of launching localized attacks.   Facebook · LEX 18  +2 Outcomes:  While it provided ...
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What A.I. Kant Do

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Credit... D umebi Malaika Menakaya for The New York Times Opinion By Maureen Dowd The  New York Times May 16, 2026,  7:00 a.m. ET Humans may be on the way out. But at least the humanities are back.  Or so some of the tech gods tell us. After decades of dismissing liberal arts and humanities studies as useless and insisting that the mastery of science, engineering, math and tech is essential to future success, the tech world is coming around to the idea that learning about human nature could be a valuable asset in the coming A.I. revolution.   As it turns out, tech jobs may be drying up after years of students rushing to computer science. Who needs to code? A.I. does that for you. What A.I. can’t do — yet — is the stuff that makes us human: empathy, emotion, psychology, critical thinking. “What a piece of work is man,” Hamlet said, describing an intricate and infinite creature. “I think A.I. is a false mirror,” said Drew Lichtenberg, the dramaturg at the Shakespeare...
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Putin Claims Ukraine War “Almost Over”… Blames the West for prolonging it…😬

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From Quora, May 15 Anna Magdalena W.    ·  Follow International Politics & Economy Analyst - LSE PhD May 9 Putin Claims Ukraine War “Almost Over”… Blames the West for prolonging it…😬 At a quiet Victory Day press briefing, Putin told journalists he thinks the war in Ukraine is nearing its end 🕰️. Naturally, he blamed Western nations for “escalating” the conflict, claiming globalist elites are fighting Russia through Ukraine — conveniently ignoring that Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 🤦‍♂️. According to him,  as quoted by KI ,  the West expected Russia to collapse in months but “got stuck.” Reality check:  it’s Russia that’s been bogged down for over five years, losing troops daily and failing to hit its major objectives 💥. On diplomacy, Putin said he’s open to meeting Zelensky in a neutral country — a shift from his usual “come to Moscow” line — but only to sign agreements, not negotiate further ✍️. He also hinted at talks with European leaders who ha...
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